Streaks of restlessness run through the artistically inclined. Projects begin and end and melt into each other, some surviving and taking on lives of their own, others swallowed up by time and fate. The mind, bouncing between concepts, rarely if ever settles on a solitary endeavor.
Musicians epitomize this theory. Seemingly incestuous by nature, bands within tight-knit communities often share bassists and drummers and keyboardists and the lot, nearly indistinguishable as to where one group starts and another one ends. The sound of the collective whole simply overpowers.
But on the flip side, there are those artists who can step into an entirely new genre, who can come together with like-minded (or, better yet, disparate-minded) individuals to create something entirely new. Whether you want to call them supergroups or side projects or distractions from the norm, here are my top picks for some solid musical reinvention.
Project: Discovery
Consists of: Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Wesley Miles of Ra Ra Riot
Top pick: “So Insane”
If ever there were ever two bands that were a match made in heaven, it’s Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot. Synth-pop to their cores, Batmanglij and Miles released LP in 2009, a record tinged with electro-pop and R&B beats and plenty of well-executed autotune. I discovered (pun sure as hell intended) the album in high school, and it became one of my instant favorites. Besides “So Insane,” check out Michael Jackson cover “I Want You Back” and “Carby,” featuring Vampire Weekend’s own Ezra Koenig.
Project: Divine Fits
Consists of: Britt Daniel of Spoon; Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade, Atlas Strategic and Handsome Furs; Sam Brown of The New Bomb Turks; Alex Fischel of Spoon
Top pick: “Flaggin a Ride”
I’ll be honest with you: I first got into Divine Fits because a guy I was dating in college had a mad man crush on Britt Daniel and spun a steady stream of Spoon hits at all hours of the day. The relationship might not have lasted, but my affinity for A Thing Called Divine Fits sure stuck. It’s an obvious Spoon offshoot marked by Daniel’s throaty vocals, a solid new chapter for both diehard Spoonies (trademark pending) and newcomers to the game.
Project: Volcano Choir
Consists of: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver; Jon Mueller and Thomas Wincek, formerly of Collections of Colonies of Bees; Matthew Skemp of All Tiny Creatures
Top pick: “Island, IS”
The more upbeat sibling to Vernon’s broodier Bon Iver, Volcano Choir mixes indie folk and electronica to a point of oblivion. And for fans of the ever-evolving outfit Collections of Colonies of Bees, it’s perhaps a step toward the mainstream while maintaining a truly ambient sound. And with 2009’s “Unmap” and 2013’s “Repave,” there’s plenty of Volcano Choir to go around.
Project: Jamie xx
Consists of: Jamie Smith of The xx
Top pick: “Loud Places”
Jamie Smith is just killing it. His solo work as Jamie xx amplifies his talents, combining his DJ mixmaster proclivity with the bedroom vibe so characteristic of The xx. Recent LP In Colour is the next step in that gradual evolution from lo-fi to hi-fi and everywhere in between, supplanting a gettin’-it-on soundtrack with the next installation of oxymoronically chill dance music.
Project: Panda Bear
Consists of: Noah Lennox of Animal Collective
Top pick: “Mr Noah”
Man, do I love me some Animal Collective — and I especially love how Noah Lennox keeps the theme going with Panda Bear, his equally experimental solo endeavor born in 1999. Neo-psychedelia fans rejoiced with 2015’s Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, a natural fit for the Animal Collective brand but with a subtly separate twist. Panda Bear is slowly but surely becoming the leader of the pack.
Artist: Sebadoh
Members: Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr. and Jason Loewenstein and Bob D’Amico of The Fiery Furnaces
Top pick: “Soul and Fire”
As a kid born in the early ’90s, I can honestly say it took me more than a bit to embrace the grungy garage rock indicative of my era. But when an angsty buddy took me to see Dinosaur Jr. at The Diamond Ballroom our junior year, I fell in love and devoured anything and everything of theirs I could get my hands on. Sebadoh came next, digging deep where Dinosaur Jr. otherwise popped. And for a drippy seventeen-year-old, Sebadoh was (and still is) right up my alley.
Artist: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Members: Stephen Malkmus of Pavement, Mike Clark, Joanna Bolme, Jake Morris
Top pick: “Out of Reaches”
Speaking of the ’90s being alive in Portland, let’s talk about Pavement and its fearless leader Stephen Malkmus. Malkmus got with the Jicks in 2000 shortly after his former group disbanded, continuing the legacy of heavy lyricism and indie rock-itude without missing a beat. 2008’s Real Emotional Trash is a heavy hitter, in my mind rivaling Pavement’s 1994 release Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain for its timelessness. The Jicks keep the bar set high, that’s for sure.
Artist: The Arcs
Members: Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys; Leon Michels, Homer Steinweiss and Nick Movshon of Menahan Street Band; Richard Swift, Kenny Vaughan
Top pick: “Stay in My Corner”
Time will only tell with The Black Keys guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach’s latest creative pursuit. With a debut album slated to drop in September, The Arcs are have kicked things off to a strong start with singles “Outta My Mind” and “Stay in My Corner.” Unlike Auerbach’s true blue solo work, it’s hard to distinguish the dividing line between The Black Keys and The Arcs. Nevertheless, I fully dig what I’ve heard so far and will definitely be giving this new album a thorough listen.
Artist: Department of Eagles
Members: Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Fred Nicolaus of Golden Suits
Top pick: “Teenagers”
Department of Eagles certainly floats in the same atmospheric realm as indie darlings Grizzly Bear, though it’s a bit more straightforward in its relation to pop; “Teenagers” easily could’ve been a bonus track on Veckatimest, but it wouldn’t have made the cut on Yellow House or Horn of Plenty. Department of Eagles does its predecessors justice but throws in a saccharine curveball.
Artist: Mister Heavenly
Members: Honus Honus of Man Man, Nick Thorburn of Islands and The Unicorns, Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse and The Shins
Top pick: “Bronx Sniper”
Mister Heavenly is pure dichotomy. On one hand you have Man Man’s Honus Honus, whose sandpapery vocals could easily strip a coffee table. On the other hand there’s Nick Thorburn, whose voice seems to glide in and out of the conscious realm. The pairing may seem weird in theory, but these two seemingly polar opposites come together to create something that’s just short of brilliant. Add in Joe Plummer’s pedigree, and you have the makings of a killer sound.
Artist: Bad Books
Members: Kevin Divine; Andy Hull, Robert McDowell and Chris Freeman of Manchester Orchestra; Benjamin Homola
Top pick: “Holding Down the Laughter”
Kevin Divine and Manchester Orchestra have always been connected in my mind: vocals that go from soft to hard with practically no warning, guitars that shred anything and everything in their path, lyrics that harken images of cannabis-infused afternoons fading into hazy evenings. Bad Books softens the edges and leans heavier into the synth, its harder core roots lying somewhat dormant underneath. But every now and then we get a taste of something stronger.
Artist: Wild Flag
Members: Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, Janet Weiss of Quasi and Sleater-Kinney, Mary Timony of Helium, Rebecca Cole of The Minders
Top pick: “Romance”
I’m not going to pretend I know everything about Sleater-Kinney or the other aforementioned bands, and I’m definitely more attuned to the likes of The Ramones and The Clash than I am to modern-day punk. But I know what I like, and Wild Flag falls into that category. It’s girl-punk for the modern set.
And an honorable mention goes out to The Traveling Wilburys for “Handle with Care” because I still can’t get over the sweet, sweet combo of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty.
